Supporters Make Last Ditch Effort To Save Landmark Union Square Bar

A bartender works at the historic Gold Dust Lounge in San Francisco's Union Sqaure. (Photo via Radio Alice)

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— With a week left until the Gold Dust Lounge’s March 10th eviction date, supporters of the landmark Union Square watering hole are ramping up efforts to save it from being torn down.

The dollar vodka drinks flowed as hundreds packed into the lounge and sang along with a local musician Catherine Hill.

Hill likened the closure of the bar that opened in 1933 to taking the cable cars out of Union Square.

KCBS’ Anna Duckworth Reports:

“It’s one of the last old San Francisco bars on Powell Street,” she said.

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, whose name is mentioned in the song’s chorus, told the crowd he closed the Gold Dust down on many nights with his pal the late SF Chronicle columnist Herb Caen.

“I really hope that our voices can be heard,” Brown lamented.

The Gold Dust owners have said they plan to sue, and get the bar declared a historic landmark.

Lee Housekeeper, a spokesman for the bar said for the first time since the eviction notice went out, the building owner agreed to a sit down meeting with supporters next Tuesday.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Anna Duckworth

Anna started her broadcasting career at KCBS in 1994, a few months before graduating from San Jose State University. After 5 years, she moved on to a brief stint reporting traffic on the radio. In 1999, she began writing and reporting at loc...